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Every major crisis changes society in some way, either for the better or worse.  Once societal norms and culture change, people have to adapt accordingly.  The pandemic of 2020 has been the most transformative challenge the world has experienced in the 21st century and Christians have had to resort to digital worship.  While some pastors have embraced the internet as a short term solution to the problem, others are not so certain that online worship will fade once the virus restrictions are lifted.

 

Dramatic shifts in the way a church operates are nothing new as many places of worship have adjusted their structure to overcome new obstacles.  During the Great Depression, many pastors turned their churches into social service providers, giving birth to a new form of Christian worship and service that still exist today.
Churches have also embraced emergency planning and training in the past, showing a surprising ability to stay up-to-date about the concerns that plagued their communities.  They have similarly weathered the COVID pandemic.

 

Churches took their worship to the internet as they realized that Christians longed for tools that would enable them to receive spiritual guidance during trying times.  Today, the number of people that listen to sermons on church websites vastly exceeds the number that previously attended a service.  Trust in religious leaders is so high right now that church websites are converting more people than traditional forms of preaching.

 

A lot of believers want digital worship to continue because it gives them continuous and consistent access to church leaders.  They have no intention of giving that up which is why a majority of pastors believe that digital worship will continue even after COVID restrictions lift.
Even when social distancing guidelines end, most pastors are in no hurry to open their houses of worship.  They will wait until their congregation is comfortable with physical gatherings, and that might take months so online worship is likely here to stay.